Midnight inspections?

[Firegazer]

OK, this might be a crazy idea. If so, blame it on the pint of Doom Bar I had at lunchtime.

If opening up the top of the hive during the day annoys the bees, and that's not unreasonable as it wouldn't happen if they lived in a tree (barring catastrophe), would it be possible to inspect them at night instead?

I guess the problems of opening are both light getting in, and heat getting out?

Opening at night, with a head torch (maybe a red filter on it?) could cause less stress from the light side; I guess it would cause more stress on the heat-loss side.

What do you lot think? Has it ever been tried?

FG

 

[Poly Hive]

And where are all the bees that are NOT there during the day going to be?

PH

 

[Firegazer]

At home, probably.

Is that bad because the colony will be more stroppy with more bees at home, or bad because they'll make seeing the combs more difficult?

FG

 

[grizzly]

Well if they react in the same way some bees of mine did last year when i had to go up to the apiary in the dark, with a torch, i wouldnt recommend it.
And i was not that close to the hives either.

I reckon they will be out at you with attitude. I strongly advise against it.

 

[gandalfwhitewizard]

FG,

Upshot dear boy is leave them alone! Plus bees in dark are a BAD COMBINATION!!!! trust me!

GWW

 

[Roy S]

Damn this sounds like it could be a hoot, can I come and watch if you try it?

Nah seriously.....not a good idea....REALLY its not. As everyone else has said ALL the bees will be at home and well and truly hacked off that a midnight invader has come to disturb them. Not only that, if everywhere else is dark the only reference point they would have is the light that you would be carrying, so they would follow you everywhere in a foul mood.

Not only that once you switch the light out how are they going to find thier way back to the hive? you'd end up losing loads of disorientated bees

But on a lighter note, if you do decide to do it please get someone to stick some of the footage on youtube

 

[gandalfwhitewizard]

But on a lighter note, if you do decide to do it please get someone to stick some of the footage on youtube

Mrs FG will NOT be impressed!

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Its bad engough when you drop you queen clip with queen in in daylight never mind the dark...and as for that hive tool....

No they do not like it when you go to them in the dark head torch and all, it is 100% full hive.

Stick to whats known...no need to reinvent the wheel.

 

[starflex]

Note to self - try a pint of Doom Bar

 

[Onge]

if you do decide to do it please get someone to stick some of the footage on youtube

 

[Roy S]

This sounds like it could be a new event on that Japanese "Endurance" show or whatever it was called

I remember dropping a full colony in the dark once when a nice new hive strap broke when bringing hives back from the heather, (The hive was also new with sharp edges and cut through the strap!...another lesson learnt the hard way!) over 200 stings later, I went back armed with a torch to try and strap up the hive again and carry it the remaining 20 yards or so into the apairy. I remember the torch seeming to go out, but it was actually the amount of bees swamping the beam of the torch, and I copped a load more stings.
Another one of those do as I say, and not do as I do moments.

It certainly taught me a bit though

 

[Baggyone]

We have a guy in our association that swears by ealy morning inspections. In the light, reckons the cold kinda keeps em quiet.

I'd rather have the buggers out flying than try it on a full colony.

 

[Firegazer]

OK, so it's a terrible idea!

I should be at the same pub tomorrow lunchtime, drinking another pint of Doom Bar. Watch this space for the next paradigm-shifting, blue-sky, out-of-the-box thought up for some feedback.

Could it be bee-juggling? Mankini bee-suits? Wearing a tiny bee costume and sneaking into the hive past the guards?

FG

 

[Haughton Honey]

Filtering the bees down a tube in single file whilst picking off each individual varroa mite......?!

 

[AMAE]

I'm having real problems with the mankini thing...try 2 pints it may prove more entertaining!

AMAE

 

[Roy S]

OK, so it's a terrible idea!

I should be at the same pub tomorrow lunchtime, drinking another pint of Doom Bar. Watch this space for the next paradigm-shifting, blue-sky, out-of-the-box thought up for some feedback.

Could it be bee-juggling? Mankini bee-suits? Wearing a tiny bee costume and sneaking into the hive past the guards?

FG

Thanks for near choking me Firegazer, I'm now having to clean coffee off my monitor and keyboard..... I soooo need to try that Doom Bar!!!

 

[jezd]

But on a lighter note, if you do decide to do it please get someone to stick some of the footage on youtube

Ditto, this I want to see - remember at night every single bee that could be there will be there and a torch would certainly give them a good target to go for lol

Bees can be aggressive, very at times.

 

[Polyanwood]

The Gambian beekeepers always only open their hives at night. They could not understand why we do it in the day... they kept asking me about it over and again... in the end we thought perhaps they were just different types of bee - or perhaps it was due to it being so much hotter in the day in Gambia?

Who knows?

 

[buffalow]

if any of you are seriously thinking of going up a tree to inspect a bee hive at midnight with a red light strapped to your forehead in a mankini then let me know im up for a laugh indeed

Where as a matter of interest would you strap the torch inside the veil or outside ?
Regards
Mark

 

[Finman]

Opening at night,

What do you lot think? Has it ever been tried?

FG

Don't blame them if bees are going to kill you. They will succeed quite near. That is my bet.

But don't worry. You have only a second to open the cover and then RUN! Your learning curve will be higher than ever!